The Butterfly Effect
by EvilSamurai
Summary: The smallest change can make the biggest difference. What might Clark's life have been if he had made different choices? How will this impact who he must one day become? Chlark
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my thoughts, please no one sue me (besides, there's nothing to take im poor)

_A/N- I have been writing fanfiction for a while now (and reading it for much longer) but this is the first thing I've actually posted. So please review. I love constructive criticism as it helps me grow as a writer but please, reserve your heckling for one man plays and Creed cover bands. That said, this is a very AU story, though many of the plots will remain the same. Basically I was sitting around one day, watching an episode when I started to think about how life might have been different for Clark if he hadn't just let the whole relationship thing go after season one (it would have made for a lot less Lana angst, that's for sure). So from there I just took it a step further and decided to write my own version of things, starting from just before the season finale of one. In case there are any discrepancies in my timeline of events in the end of season one, please keep in mind that I loaned my dvd set to my brother, so I'm working off of memory for now. If something is incorrect, just let me know and ill fix it later._

**The Butterfly Effect**- _refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location (in essence, the tiniest action can have far reaching consequences)  
_

From his position in the grossly uncomfortable hospital chair by Chloe's bedside, Clark watched as his best friend in the world slept quietly, a serene look upon her face. In his right hand he held her fingers intertwined with his own as his left reached up to gently brush back an errant strand of hair and tuck it behind her ear.

An hour ago when she had finally fallen into an exhausted, fitful sleep, he had watched helplessly as she tossed and turned in the tiny hospital bed, the occasional whimper escaping her throat. He had immediately grasped her small delicate hand in his own rather larger one, considering shaking her awake. But as his hand held hers and his voice whispered soft comforting words to her, her breathing slowed down to almost normal and her constant restless movement became only the occasional twitch. For reasons he did not understand, his presence seemed to soothe her anxiety.

From the moment earlier that night when she had asked him to stay with her, there had not been a doubt in his mind that he would do it if that's what she wanted, but knowing that his being there was actually doing something to help her served to somewhat ease the sense of helplessness he'd felt since the moment he had learned of her abduction. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly against the sudden well of emotion, sniffling lightly and blinking his eyes to dispose of unshed tears. He felt useless. All of his incredible gifts, all of his powers…and he couldn't even protect the people that he cared about the most.He bowed his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry Chloe," he began, staring intently at his shoes. "This never should have happened to you. I failed you and I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me to be."

"Don't be ridiculous Clark." Cark's head whirled to face the doorway, startled though not really surprised, to see Lex leaning against it, a look of concern plastered across his face.

"Lex, what are you doing here?" Clark asked while trying to surreptitiously remove any traces of tears with the back of one hand, his other still tangled up in Chloe's.

"I heard what happened and I wanted to offer my support." As Lex spoke he entered the room, tossing his expensive jacket onto a nearby table and pulling the other chair to the foot of Chloe's bed right next to Clark. He sat down, leaned back and smiled. "And don't change the subject. Where did you get the idea that you failed anyone?" His tone shifted subtly like it always seemed to whenever he mentioned Clark's tendancy to play the savior. "From what I hear, Smallville's very own hero saved the day once again." Clark barked out a humorless laugh but kept his voice down, remembering the girl sleeping next to him.

"I really wish that everyone would stop saying that," he said, shaking his head. "Chloe, her dad, even the sheriff; they all kept thanking me and telling me what a hero I am.

"What's wrong with that?" Lex asked, not understanding. "You swooped in at the last second to save the damsel in distress Clark, what could be more heroic then that?"

"It isn't being a hero if you're just fixing your own mistake." Lex raised an eyebrow at this and Clark sighed in frustration. "This should never have happened to her Lex. It's my fault she's in here. I should have found her sooner. Hell, I never should have let any of this happen in the first place." His eyes dropped back to his shoes, unable to meet Lex's eye. For his part, Lex sat mute, stunned into silence by the enormity of the guilt he felt radiating from his young friend. He knew that Clark was being ridiculous of course, and he owed it to his one and only friend to show him that, but he hadn't had much experience with the whole "heart to heart chat" thing and he wasn't quite sure how to start. He figured that his first order of business was to get the boy to stop wallowing in self pity.

"Well, well, well, Clark Kent swearing…I never thought that I'd see the day." Clark looked up, shocked to hear the laughter in Lex's voice and was absolutely appalled to see the smirk on his face.

"There is nothing funny about this situation Lex," Clark said, indignant, "Chloe is in the hospital for god's sake and it's my fault." Lex's smirk turned into a full smile as he began to chuckle lightly. Clark's eyes narrowed. "Stop laughing." His voice had lost all trace of friendliness and Lex's smile vanished.

"You're absolutely right Clark; there is nothing funny about Chloe being in the hospital. I wasn't laughing at you or her, I was laughing at myself." Now it was Clark's turn to look confused. "I was laughing because I had forgotten how easy it is at your age to take all the blame for a situation onto yourself." Clark found his confusion ebbing and his anger returning with the speed of a spring tornado.

"You don't know what you're talking about Lex."

"Of course I don't Clark." Lex jumped to his feet and strolled to the other side of the bed, leaning over and staring into Clark's eyes. "So why don't you enlighten me? How did you do it?" Clark held Lex's steely gaze and found his confusion returning once again.

"How did I do what Lex?"

"Kidnap Chloe of course. I mean you said that this whole situation was your fault, so naturally that means you're to blame for everything, right?" Clark, who was fast growing tired of his own emotional flip-flopping, skipped the anger this time and went straight to righteous fury. Lex ignored it. "That would mean that you're the one who kidnapped her, you're the one who held her captive, and you're the one who buried her alive and left her to die-" Clark leapt to his feet, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Suddenly Lex felt extremely grateful for placing the bed in between them.

"How can you say that?" Clark's voice was low but venomous. "How can you even suggest that? She is my best friend. I would die before I hurt her."

"Of course you would Clark," Lex interjected. "But apparently you needed to be reminded of it." Lex watched as understanding passed over the young teen's face, the anger draining from his eyes to be replaced by embarrassment. Clark sank back down into the chair, eyes once again downcast, defeated. Lex knew he had to press his point home. "As much as you might want to Clark, you don't get to take all of the blame for this one. That award goes to the sick bastard who did this to her. And believe me, when my people find him, he **is **going to get what he so justly deserves." Clark finally met his gaze again, his eyes beginning to swim with tears he was trying desperately not to shed.

"You have people looking for this guy?" Clark asked, surprised. He knew that Lex never did anything halfway. When he said people, he meant the most highly paid and reliable private investigators and security teams money could buy; a far cry from the understaffed local sheriff's office. Lex simply smiled at the shock in his voice.

"Of course I do."

"Why?" Clark hadn't meant for that to come out so bluntly. He started again. "What I mean is why would you get involved? Its not like you and Chloe are friends or anything. Not," he clarified, "that I'm not grateful or anything, but just…." His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"You mean besides the fact that she's the daughter of one of my best employee's?" Lex's smile faded and his voice became serious. "Clark you're the best friend I've ever had." He snorted derisively. "In fact you're the only friend I've ever had. In a lot of ways, I feel closer to you than I do to my own father." Lex found himself turning slightly to face Chloe for the first time. "Whoever this guy is, when he hurt her, he hurt you and he has to pay for that." His smile was back again, but there was no humor behind it, only darkness. "After all what good is it being a billionaire if you can't help your only friend in the world? Trust me when I tell you that he will pay dearly for what he has done."

Clark wasn't sure he liked the dark fire he thought he saw burning in Lex's eyes, but he let it go. He was still too worried about Chloe to call Lex out on something that he may not even really have seen, so he let it go. Lex slowly crossed back around the bed to stand behind Clark's chair and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Clark none of this is your fault. You aren't Chloe's keeper and you can't be there to watch her twenty four hours a day." He gave a small chuckle. "And besides, from what you've told me about her, she would kick your ass if you tried. She sounds like a very strong independent young lady and they tend to dislike that sort of thing." Clark gave a strangled laugh and used his left hand to remove the remaining moisture from his eyes. "You can't always prevent evil from touching the lives of the people you love Clark, believe me I've seen it. What you can do is always be there for them when it does." Clark sniffed, whishing that the stinging behind his eyes would fade. Lex had already seen his tears once tonight and that more than enough embarrassment for one day.

"Thanks Lex. You're right. Besides, blaming myself isn't going to help Chloe. I heard the doctors talk about how this could affect her, you know, in the long term." Lex turned and moved closer to the door reaching for his coat, satisfied that his work was done for now. Almost…

"You know Clark, I wouldn't worry about it." Clark turned at Lex's odd statement, his eyebrows rising quizzically at his friend's knowing tone.

"What do you mean Lex?"

"I mean that I spoke to the doctors myself a few minutes ago to tell them that I could have any specialist she needed flown here within twenty four hours. They just told me that they couldn't discuss her condition with me at the moment and left it at that. But as I walked by the nurse's station, I overheard a bit of their chatter." Lex's smile was widening now. "Apparently the only thing the doctor's were really concerned about was her mental health; worried about her reliving the trauma most likely. They had planned on having to administer a sedative tonight so that she could sleep without troubles from nightmares." Clarks grip on Chloe's hand tightened. "But what the nurses found so utterly cute was that when one of them came to the room to administer the drug, she found Chloe sound asleep, vitals within normal limits, with a "gorgeous young man" sitting by her bedside keeping watch." Lex sighed in a dramatic fashion, raising the pitch of his voice to mimic a female. "Oh it was just so romantic. I wish my boyfriend was that sweet and caring." He couldn't contain himself any longer at this point, bursting into a fit of laughter which was only encouraged by the deep crimson blush that leapt across Clark's face and neck.

"Chloe and I are just friends Lex," Clark stated firmly, still unable to control the embarrassment that dominated his face, "nothing more." Lex's laughter died down at this, both eyebrows appearing to be in a contest to see which could get higher to the top of his bald head.

"Oh really Clark? I seem to recall a certain young farm boy visiting me very recently and telling me that he wasn't sure of his feelings about a certain junior reporter." Lex was slowly drifting towards the door. "I told you Clark, if you never take a chance, you may find that you've missed out on something incredible." Clark squirmed uncomfortably.

"I heard what you said Lex. But the thing is, I'm not sure what my feelings for Chloe are, but I do know that I'm in love with Lana, so it wouldn't be fair to start something with Chloe when I'm in love with someone else, would it?" Lex sighed and his hand, which had been reaching for the knob, drew back to his side. Apparently his work wasn't quite as done as he thought. It wasn't his place to tell Clark who to love, but he had seen something in his young friend these past few days and he couldn't leave until he had forced him to actually examine his feelings for once.

"Do you really love Lana?" Clark answered without hesitation.

"Of course I do, I've loved her since the first time I saw her, you know that." Lex stared at him with blank eyes and his voice was questioning but void of judgment.

"Why?" It was the simplest of questions, but it furrowed Clark's brow none the less. Why did he love Lana? It wasn't a question he had ever really had to ask himself before. He had been in love with her for so long that he never really felt the need to consider why he felt that way.

"What do you mean why Lex? I just do. Love is like that." Lex shook his head slowly.

"No Clark, its not. You can do better than that. What is it about her that you love, honestly?" Clark sat stone still, thinking hard.

"Well she's beautiful, obviously," he began, the words coming slowly as he tried to express into words how he felt about Lana Lang, the girl he had lived next door to his whole life on this planet. "But not just on the outside, on the inside too. She's caring and always willing to help other people with their problems, even if she doesn't know them that well. She's also smart and she can make me laugh. She's just….perfect" His praises trickled off and it was easy to see that he was wracking his brain for all of the other qualities that he had always known Lana to possess. Lex gave him a questioning glance.

"So she's beautiful, smart, a good person, and…perfect. Is that it?" Clark seemed uncomfortable at this point, again starting to squirm in his chair.

"Well, what else does there need to be?" Lex leaned his back against the sturdy wooden door, jacket still in hand. This might take a little longer than he thought. A smile lit his face at the realization that he, Lex Luthor, always unlucky in love, was now dispensing advice on the subject to teenagers. How his father would laugh if he could see him now.

"Well, I'm just going to go ahead and ignore perfect since I presume that Lana is human and therefore definitely not perfect." Clark's shoulders tensed a bit at these words, but Lex wasn't quite sure what to make of it so he plowed on. "As for the other three, well...you just described about a billion women on the planet Clark. If that's all there is to it, then why aren't you in love with one of them? Think about it and ask yourself what is it exactly that makes you love her above all of those others you could have. What is it that makes her so special?" Clark's mind was whirling now and he wished that Lex would just let this go, but something told him that wasn't going to happen. Why was he bringing this up anyway? After all, hadn't Lex spent the better part of the past year trying to help Clark to win Lana?

"I don't get you Lex, I thought you wanted to help me with Lana but now you're telling me that what I feel isn't real?" Lex's head shook emphatically.

"No, I never said that it wasn't real; I'm sure you're feelings are very real Clark." His head cocked to the sid, his tone quizzical. "But who is it you are really in love with?" Clark had no idea how to respond to that, his eyes wide and mouth doing a very interesting impression of a fish. Lex continued on, not wanting to give Clark the chance to find his voice and refute his theory just yet. "Are you sure it's Lana you love? Or maybe it's just the idea of her."

He stepped away from the wall, hands in his pockets and his expensive designer jacket clutched between his arm and chest as he began to walk ever so slowly back towards the bed in the center of the room. Clark almost felt as if he were being stalked by a well dressed bald predator. "Please Clark; I want you to think about this for a minute, heck, maybe even two. You say that you have been in love with Lana since you were like four, but from everything you've told me, up until about eight months ago you hadn't even shared a coherent conversation with the girl." Clark blushed furiously at this, hating that he couldn't simply explain that it hadn't been Lana that had made him act so clumsy and inept; it had been her stupid meteor rock necklace. Once it had left the picture, he had found it easy to talk to Lana and they had even become fast friends. In his mind that had cemented the idea that he was meant to be with her.

Lex stopped when he reached Clark's side, spreading his feet into a relaxed stance and continuing his speech, unaware of the segue Clark's mind had taken. "So in reality you've only really known Lana for about eight months." Clark nodded. Technically that was true. "So it stands to reason that the girl you were in love with the other ten plus years wasn't the real Lana." Clark wasn't nodding anymore. Was Lex implying that he hadn't been in love with Lana as long as he had thought? That was ridiculous. Again, technically Lex might have been right about Clark not knowing Lana personally all of that other time, but it hadn't mattered. Even from a meteor sickness safe distance he had been able to recognize what a wonderful girl she was; heck all of the guys in the school noticed and none of them even lived next door to her like he did. Besides, what about love at first sight?

"Lex you don't actually have to know someone to fall in love with them. It just happens. Love is a feeling; you cant control it." Lex felt himself growing disappointed.

"You should know better than that Clark. You should know this just by looking at you parents." Lex let his vision drift out the small window to the distant tree line, his voice taking on an airy quality. "True love doesn't just happen, it has to be obtained; sought after. Love at first sight is a lie Clark. People are rarely the same underneath as they are on the outer layers. Love requires trust and understanding, and those things can only be won with time." Lex could his voice growing softer with emotion. He hadn't meant at all to get so worked up, but he figured that drawing him out of his hard Luthor exterior was just another one of Clark's many gifts. "You don't have to know everything about each other immediately in order to be in love Clark. After all you'll have a lifetime to learn it all. But you have to know that the person will always be there for you and accept you for who you are, flaws and all, no matter what. There might be ups and downs, and you might even lose sight of each other sometimes, but you know you'll always find your way back to each other in the end. That's not something that you can know "at first sight." Lex stopped, finally overcome. "That is real love Clark, and it's definitely not something you can know by spying on a girl through a telescope." Clark was in awe of Lex for the way he had just put himself out there, open to ridicule from Clark for being so "girly" about the whole thing. He was honored that Lex felt comfortable enough in their friendship to even approach this whole subject he had been pursuing for the better part of his visit.

"Wow Lex, its not that I don't appreciate you sharing your views on love with me," he said, hesitating slightly. "Where did that come from though? You told me yourself that you hadn't had much luck in the love department so far." Lex smiled at the hesitant tone.

"When I was younger that's what my mom always told me when I asked about love. It's hard to believe that she actually felt that way about my dad." His smile faltered. "It always got harder for her to say it though. Every time it was like her smile and cheeriness was just a little more forced; like she believed it a little less each time." Clark's eyes flashed with sympathy and Lex berated himself for letting his guard slip. Clark feeling sorry for him was the last thing he wanted. He hadn't meant to reveal so much of himself, but talking about his mother had always made him a little emotional.

"Clark, I may not have the best experience with relationships, and I may never have experienced true love myself, but I do know that it's out there. But that's not the real point here." His eyes found Clark's again. "Clark, as much as you may not want to hear it, you don't really know Lana. What you felt when you were little, that was just a crush, and there's nothing wrong with that, it's a part of growing up. But you took the object of your infatuation and made her the focus of all your dreams about the perfect girl, and you've never been able to see past that. You told yourself that she was perfect and so that's who you think she is. When I asked you what you loved about her you couldn't think of anything beyond generic traits; good traits, but generic. You've never let yourself see any deeper because if you did, she might shatter that pedestal you keep her up on."

Clark face had been blank and unreadable throughout his speech and Lex was a bit concerned. Usually he could read Clark like a book and the fact that he couldn't now was a bit unnerving, but he needed to finish what he had started and so pressed on. "Despite what you might think Clark, I'm not trying to tell you that you don't love Lana." Clark looked disbelieving. "Really I'm not. But you can't be in love with someone until you know who they really are, and you've never been willing to let yourself do that with her. If you want to be in love with her, love the real Lana, not the one you've created in your dreams." Lex turned and started towards the door again, determined to actually leave this time.

"Lex." Lex stopped at the sound of his voice. "What is it you want from me? What was the point of all this?"

"The point is that I'm your friend and I want you to be happy." He paused for a moment. "But I've heard that sometimes in order to be a good friend you have to force people to face uncomfortable truths." His walk towards the door resumed. "Just do me a favor Clark and think seriously about what I've said. I would hate to think that I'd wasted all of this time spent talking about your love life."

Oh he'd be thinking about it. Clark was pretty sure he wouldn't be thinking about much of anything else for quite a while. In the meantime he still had no idea of how to handle his newfound knowledge of Chloe's feelings for him. "But what should I do about Chloe?" Lex turned again, his handle on the door latch.

"That's up to you Clark; you already heard my advice on the subject." He smirked at the confused teen whose memory seemed to have been overloaded by the events of the past day. "You may not be sure of you feelings right now, but if you never take any chances you may look back one day and realize you missed out on something amazing."

Clark had turned in his seat to speak and Lex's eyes drifted past him to zero in on something that made his smirk widen into a full out smile. "Besides Clark, I somehow get the impression that you care about the young Miss Sullivan much more than you're willing to admit to yourself." He nodded towards the hospital bed, turned, and left, the soft click of the door closing leaving Clark alone once more in the silence. He looked to where Lex had been gazing. Throughout the entire discussion, his hand had never left Chloe's.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N- First off I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. I'm writing this for myself, but it feels great to hear that all of you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. This chapter contains some very vague sexual references; nothing too racy here, but I feel that it is only fair to warn you that that will change. Eventually I will be including foul language, violence, and sex. It may not be here for some time, but it is coming, so fair warning. Also, I apologize for the bit of a wait. I meant to have this up by friday afternoon, but alas, life conspired against me. Also I went out with my best friend and I kind of spent the last two days in a blurry haze. To be honest I have no idea how i got home. So if the tail end of this chapter is a bit wonky, forgive me, Ill fix it to the best of my ability. Thnak you again for all the wonderful reviews. Keep them coming and enjoy the update._

_PS- If anyone would be interested in beta'ing for me, please drop me a line. I would really love the input._

I own nothing, no lawsuits please.

Jonathan Kent had been rising before the sun for as long as he could remember. That didn't make it any easier. He rolled out of bed, his joints popping, and grimaced at the ache he was feeling all over. It was on mornings like this that he felt the growing signs of his own aging. Only a few short years ago he would have practically leapt up, ready to start his day. Now it was all he could do to stumble into a hot shower, blearily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. As was pulling on his shirt he inhaled deeply, touched but not at all surprised to smell the scent of coffee percolating downstairs. He flashed a smile at his wife, now stretched out in their bed, her back to him. She always woke up while he was in the shower, stumbling downstairs to start the coffee brewing for him before falling back into bed to get another hour or two of sleep. No matter how many times he had told her she didn't have to, he always dressed to that distinctive smell.

He hurried down the stairs, desperate for that first sip of his morning wake up call. Steam rose into his face and he breathed deeply, now fully awake for the first time. He would never admit it to anyone, but he wasn't sure he would be able to make it through the day without his morning cup of coffee. Even the idea of facing an entire day's worth of farm work without his cup gave him shivers. Mug in hand, he made his way to the door, slid on his mud caked work boots, and stepped into the chilly morning air, the first signs of light just beginning to peek over the horizon.

He was headed for his truck, ready to drive out to the south fields to begin the day's work, when he heard soft noises coming from the open barn door. He frowned, and changed directions. The fields could always wait five minutes.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the sight of Clark mucking out a stall before the sun was even in the sky wasn't at the top of his list by any means. Stunned, he stood for a moment in the doorway before he spoke, shocked, "Son, what in the blazes are you doing out here at this hour?"

Clark whirled around, surprised. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed his father's entrance until he spoke. "Hey dad. I was just trying to get a head start on my chores, that's all." The look in his father's eyes told him that he wasn't going to get off that easily.

"Son with your abilities you finish your chores in the blink of an eye, and you've never once needed a head start on them. Now I don't know what's going on, but you have school in a few hours so you should head into the house and go back to sleep while you can." Clark squirmed guiltily. Realization dawned on the elder Kent, followed quickly by anger. "Son, please tell me that you actually went to sleep last night and you didn't sit around all night doing chores." The silence was deafening. Jonathan sighed, his hand rising to clench his brow. "Clark, what were you thinking? You know that's not how we do things in this house." His voice had been growing till he was practically shouting and Clark hung his head, shifting his feet in the dirt floor.

"I'm really sorry dad. I just couldn't sleep." He threw his shovel down, slowly sinking onto a nearby bale of hay. Jonathan sighed, regretting his earlier tone. He knew that there had to be an explanation for Clark pulling an all-nighter; he wasn't the type to do it for fun. And from the look on his face, whatever was bothering him was big. He just wished that he had time to talk to him about it.

"Forget it son. I'm sorry that I yelled. Just get inside for right now, and we'll talk about it later. Right now I have to get out to that south field or I'll never finish it all by the end of the day-" Cark cut him off.

"It's already done." Jonathan gaped at him, astonished. Clark merely looked sheepish. "When I couldn't fall asleep, I decided I might as well work, so I went and did your work for the day. I figured you could use the day off. Then I started my chores, and I was just finishing them up when you came in." Jonathan still wasn't sure what to say, but now he was certain that whatever was bothering Clark had to be pretty serious. He hadn't seen his son this worked up since he had told him of his origins. At least now he had time to deal with it now, thanks to Clark. He grabbed an old stool that sat nearby, seating himself in front of his son and sipping his coffee. Clark would open up when he was ready; he always did.

They sat for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, Clark absently shifting dirt around with the toe of his show while his father patiently for him to speak. Finally Clark broke the silence. "Dad, how did you know you loved mom?" Jonathan blinked, surprised at the question. Was this what had kept his son awake all night long? He took his time in answering, not quite sure what it was his son was really looking for with this line of questioning.

"Well son, I won't tell you that it happened all at once." He smiled wistfully at the memories flashing through his mind. "Don't get me wrong, when I first saw her, the first thing that flashed trough my mind was that she was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. But we were from two completely different worlds; I was fresh off of the farm and she was a city girl, born and bred. It seemed like an impossible thing to overcome, and even though I had asked her out, I didn't think we would even make it past the first date.

But as that night went on, we both realized that we had a lot more in common than we first thought. We were fast friends." He paused and Clark met his eyes. "And then we were more. Then one night she convinced me to take her to the theater in Metropolis." He crinkled his nose in disgust. "God I hated it." Clark laughed and Jonathan's eyes began to glaze over at his next memory. "After we left the theater, we were walking along the street and she kept joking with me, telling me how handsome I looked in a suit. Then we stopped and she smiled and she thanked me for taking her even though I hated it. And when she looked into my eyes and said thank you, I realized that she didn't even need to; I would have sat through a million boring plays if it meant putting that smile on her face. That's when I knew that I loved her." Clark looked a little desperate now.

"So that's how you knew," he asked, incredulous, "because you were willing to go to a play with her?"

"Of course not son, I said that was when, not how." Jonathan sighed and considered how best to explain himself; he understood that for some reason his answer to this question would mean a lot to his son. "I knew that I was in love with your mother when I realized how much she completed me. She complemented me and was a positive influence on the parts of me that I hadn't even thought needed to be influenced. She helped curb my temper and when I did lose it, she was always there to calm me down and she never judged me for it. She was my rock and she made me want to be a better person for her, but I always knew that even when I couldn't that she would never judge me for it." He smiled humorously. "Does that answer your question?" Clark didn't answer, staring at the dirt floor, lost in his own thoughts. Jonathan decided that it was time for Clark to answer a few questions of his own. "Do you want to fill me in on what going on here son?"

"It's nothing dad," Clark mumbled, "just something Lex said." His father waited for him to meet his gaze and then motioned for him to continue. "We started talking about Lana, and he kind of pointed out that I had only really even started talking to her this year, and he kind of said that I couldn't be in love with her because I kept her up on this pedestal and never got to know the real her. He said love wasn't like that and I couldn't truly love someone without knowing who they really are." Clark had spoken quickly to the point of almost being incoherent, but Jonathan felt like he had gotten the gist of the story. He chuckled softly but stopped at the look of horror and indignation on his son's face.

"Son, you know that I hate to agree with Lex Luthor on anything, but hes got a point." Clark looked surprised.

"So you agree with him then?"

"I didn't say that. But he does have a point Clark. Up until a few months ago, Lana Lang never gave you the time of day. I know that part of that has something to do with her meteor rock necklace making you sick, but she didn't know about it's effects; for all she knew you were just incredibly shy. But she never really made an effort to reach out to you and get to know you though, did she?" Jonathan sighed at the sad look on Clark's face. "Son, I don't know if you love her or not, only you can answer that for yourself. But in this case Lex is right about one thing. You can't love someone you don't know. So do you think that you know Lana well enough after these last months that you've been friends to say that you love her?" Clark was quiet for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "Then there you go." Jonathan rose to his feet, problem solved.

"But what about Chloe?" He sat right back down.

"What does Chloe have to do with any of this?" Jonathan asked, already confident he knew what the answer was.

Clark squirmed atop his makeshift seat, embarrassed. "I was sitting with her last night, right before I left to go save Lana. That's where Lex and I talked. See, I kind of found out recently that Chloe has feelings for me." He paused and looked into his father's eyes to ensure his meaning was clear. "Feelings that weren't exactly friendly." Jonathan merely nodded for him to continue and Clark took a deep breath. "And ever since I found out, I've been trying to figure out how I feel about her. At first I had just decided to let it go because I thought that I was in love with Lana and I didn't think that it was fair of me to lead Chloe on. But now talking to you and Lex has me doubting my feelings or Lana and now I feel like I really do have to figure out what it is I'm feeling for Chloe." Clark rose and began to pace rapidly along the dirt floor.

Jonathan felt like bursting into laughter as he watched his son angst over his love life in front of his father, an act most teenagers would die before enduring. But Clark had never been normal, so why should now be an exception. Personally he had felt for a while that Clark was wasting his time worrying over Lana. After all Clark was in high school and he would regret it in the end if he wasted his years there pining after a girl who was never going to care for him the same way he cared for her. He kept these thoughts to himself however. Clark had trudged on, oblivious to his father's contemplations.

"I mean obviously I care about her, she's my best friend. And yeah she's beautiful, I mean I'm not blind, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to my feelings. And just because she gave me my first kiss doesn't mean that I'm going to have feelings for her now." Jonathan's mouth opened in shock. When had this happened? Clark was oblivious to his father's surprise as he ceased his pacing and whirled around to face him. "What do you think dad?" His father blinked and appeared floored by the question.

"It doesn't really matter what I think son, it's what you think that matters."

"But that's just the thing dad, I don't know what to think; I'm just so confused and I just want someone to tell me what I should do." Clark sank back onto his makeshift seat, his head falling into his hands. His father looked on helplessly, longing for the days when he could give his little boy all the answers and make everything ok. But those days were gone and this was something that Clark had to do for himself.

"Son as much as I would love to tell you what to do here, but no one can decide your feelings but you. Just ask yourself what your feelings about her are and then try to answer yourself honestly. That's all any of us can do." He rose and placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Clark, I couldn't ask for a better son, human or not. No matter what you decide, your mother and I will always be here to support you." He patted Clark on the shoulder and then began to walk back towards the house, confident that Clark would figure everything out eventually. Besides if Clark had done his entire days work that night, then he could afford to get a couple more hours of sleep. He might even nudge Martha awake and see how energetic she was feeling that morning. His smile grew wider.

Clark was left feeling distinctly unsatisfied. He had approached the conversation with his father hoping to get a definitive answer and finally make sense of all the conflicted feelings that were running through him, but had only achieved half of his goal. His feelings for Lana, examined in this new context no longer seemed as desperate and urgent. He had realized that in truth, he hadn't really known Lana all that well to begin with, and in the months since they had become friends, he had spent so much time pining after her and wishing that Whitney wasn't in the picture that he had never even tried to **get** to know her. He still thought that she was a wonderful person, and maybe she was the kind of person he could love, but right now he didn't and to his own surprise he wasn't feeling very upset about that fact.

Ever since he had returned home last night after rescuing Lana from a highly disturbed sheriff's deputy, he had been thinking hard and as he had realized the truth in Lex's statements. For the first hour of his insomnia, he had found himself reflecting back on the past few years and he was shocked when he realized how often his thoughts centered around Lana. How had he focused so much of his life on someone who he couldn't even stand near without nearly passing out? And without his vision blinded by images of Lana, he had finally seen all of the times Chloe had been trying to tell him how much she cared for him. And how much it had to have hurt her each time he had ignored her and then talked to her how about how in love he was with Lana. Without that blindness, he began to see what had been sitting in front of him for so long. He began to realize that he could care about Chloe as more than just a friend.

He couldn't believe that he was only now beginning to realize the depth of Chloe's feelings towards him, and not just the romantic ones. Despite the fact that he had hurt her repeatedly, she had never hated him for being so dense, and while she had occasionally lost her patience with him she had never turned her back on him and was always there when he needed her. From the first day he had met her, she had been the pain in his ass, the source of his smiles, and his best friend.

He definitely wasn't ready to say that he loved her. After Lana, he wasn't about to go around casually throwing that word around anymore. But he could say that his feelings were definitely more than platonic, and for right now, that was enough for him. He leapt to his feet, a new spring in his step. Once he finished mucking out these stalls, he would head inside and take a shower before grabbing a quick breakfast and heading for school. He doubted that Chloe would be there today after the incident the night before, but if he knew her like he knew he did, she would be over at some point that afternoon to thank him once again for saving her. If he planned to act on these newfound feelings, he knew the perfect place to start. That meant he was going to have to find a way to get his parents out of their bedroom that didn't involve psychological scarring. He was going to need a tux.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer- I own nothing, sue me not!**

_A/N- Sorry that this took so long, I meant to have it ready three days ago, but I had midterms this week. My chosen major sometimes doesn't leave me all of the time to write that I would like. This chapter was supposed to be about twice as long, but I figured I would split it into two so that you could have something now to reward you for your patience. Also, i listed Clark's age as sixteen. It's never specified in the show, at least not in the first season, so I kind of went with what worked. But has anyone but me noticed that apparently **every** freshman at Smallville High can drive? Where I come from, we get licenses at 16 but typically start high school at 14. Huh. Maybe its different in Kansas? Anyway, enjoy and hopefully I'll update again in a few days. Hopefully._

"I feel like I'm going to throw up." Clark paced back and forth in hallway by his home's front door, wringing his hands nervously as he awaited Chloe's arrival. He caught sight of himself in the mirror on the wall and stopped to make an imperceptible adjustment to his bowtie for the eleventh time in the past five minutes. He had spent the past two hours getting ready and had adjusted his rented tux every way he could imagine, but he still couldn't get it the way he wanted.

A mere week previously he would have gotten dressed and walked out the door, not giving a thought to what Chloe would think of his appearance; but then a week ago he wouldn't have been trying to impress her. Ever since his decision to explore his feeling for Chloe, he had been acting differently towards her and he knew that if he didn't get a handle on himself soon, he was going to screw up this night for her and that was the last thing he wanted. From the way her face had lit up when he had asked her, hesitant and awkward, to be his date to the dance, he knew how much this meant to her. He just didn't know how to control this newfound awkwardness he seemed to feel around her.

The sound of his mother's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Sweetheart, you have got to stop fiddling with that thing." His hands shot away from where they had been once again adjusting his bowtie and slid them into his pockets as his mother approached him. She reached up, firmly tugging the errant bowtie into place before cupping his face with her hand. "You look so handsome sweetie." Clark fidgeted, embarrassed.

"Mom, do you have to say things like that? I'm sixteen for goodness sake, it's embarrassing." She laughed and withdrew her hand.

"I'm sorry honey, but you're just going to have to get used to it. It's a mother's right to get sentimental when her son is going off to his first high school dance. So don't you try and rain on my parade young man." He laughed and gave her a quick "yes mam" before trailing off into silence, causing his mother to frown. She reached up and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Are you feeling alright sweetie? You've been acting kind of fidgety all week?

"No mom, I feel fine." Her hand pulled back and she crossed her arms.

"Just nerves then?"

"No…maybe…I don't know." She grasped his elbow and led him to the nearby staircase, motioning for him to take a seat before lowering herself beside him. Her hand came up and massaged the back of his neck.

"Sweetie, just tell me what's bothering you." He let a deep breath go as he felt her fingers rub the tension out of him. Chloe would be driving up any minute, it was now or never.

"I like her, that's the problem." Her eyebrow's shot up in confusion. "And ever since I figured that out I've been treating her differently. I get nervous and sweaty and I've caught myself staring at her all week long. I'm acting like I used to with Lana and I hate it; I hate not being able to have a simple conversation with my best friend." She lent him a sympathetic smile.

"Oh honey, there's nothing wrong with that. You just figured out that you had feelings for her, it's only natural that you feel a little nervous at first." She grasped his chin and turned his head until his eyes met hers. "It's a good thing to feel butterflies in your stomach Clark. I still get them sometimes when your father looks at me, and we've been together a long time. It's when you stop feeling them that you need to worry."

"Yeah mom, but this is affecting our friendship and I don't want that. What if things go wrong, I could lose my best friend." Her eyes narrowed, studying his face.

"Clark, this is going to change things between you and Chloe, but change doesn't have to be a bad thing. There's no rule that says you have to treat her differently now because you like her." Clark looked disbelieving. "Honey, I believe that a relationship is nothing but a great friendship that happens to include romance. I consider your father my best friend, we just also happen to-"

"Whoa mom, that's ok, please stop there," he interrupted. "So what you're saying is that being in a relationship with Chloe doesn't mean that I can't be her best friend, it just means that I'm also something else too." She smiled.

"Exactly." His brow was furrowed in concentration as he tried to process everything.

"It makes sense in my head," he said speaking slowly, "but I guess the real test will be tonight."

"I guess it will be. And that sounds like her car now, so you wait right here." She stood and headed up the stairs. "I'm going to go grab my camera." He groaned loudly.

"Mom!"

"Be quiet you. This is another one of those motherly rights I was telling you about, so get used to it. Besides, I promised your father I'd take some since he had to go out and bring in all the animals before the storm hits. And don't you dare jump in her car and drive off!"

"Whatever you say mom," he called out as he stood and walked to the mirror he had stared into earlier, checking himself over one last time before staring into his own eyes. He drew in a calming breath, muttered a confident "let's do this," and turned for the door.

The sky was dark and ominous and the wind gusted menacingly, causing trees to sway and bits of debris to zoom about the ground. But Clark noticed none of that. From the moment he opened his front door and stepped outside, all he could see was her. He stood frozen for a moment, floored by the sight. She had just finished climbing out of her car, the gusting wind tugging at the hem of her dress, when she caught sight of him and her face lit up with a brilliant smile. He almost couldn't respond to her greeting as he hurried down the steps and across the yard.

"Hi!" She twirled, revealing the rest of her dress. "What do you think, too pink?" Clark smiled. Trust Chloe to find a way to make a sarcastic joke in this situation.

"No you…you look beautiful." He couldn't help but smile even wider as she beamed at the compliment.

"Thank you. You clean up nicely yourself." Her eyes caught on the box in his hand that he had retrieved just before leaving the house. "Is that for me?" she asked, pointing at the corsage.

"Yeah," he said in a rush, finally drawn out of his admiring of her by the question. He removed the small flowery object from the box and fumbled with it for a moment before figuring it out and slipping it around her wrist.

"Oh," she cooed, loving the feel of his hands on her wrist, "it's beautiful." She stood for a moment, admiring it before starting. "Oh, I have yours!" Her hands dug into her purse for a moment before retrieving the tiny flower and she reached out to pin it to the lapel of his jacket. "Oh," she exclaimed, sounding apologetic as she looked up into his eyes, "did I get you?" He shook his head, not trusting his voice at the moment. Both paused, staring deep into each other's eyes, lost, as the second's ticked by. Finally Chloe blushed and tore her gaze away. "We should get going."

"Yeah," he replied, wishing the moment could have lasted a little longer. He stopped before he had even taken a step though, remembering what his mother had said. "Hold on a minute, my mom wants to-"

"Clark!" His mother's shout interrupted him and they both turned to look back at the house to see his mother hurrying down the front steps, a camera hanging around her neck.

"Take pictures," he finished, exasperated. Chloe merely giggled, secretly thrilled by the idea. With pictures evidence she might be able to convince herself that this wasn't some bizarre dream she was having.

"Chloe, you look beautiful," Martha said, giving her a quick hug, which Chloe happily returned.

"Thanks Mrs. Kent."

"Alright, picture time; get closer you two." Chloe sighed with happiness as Clark wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled into the camera. It wasn't nearly as close as she would like to be to him, but it was a definite start.

Martha was busy snapping away and probably could have kept going all night, but she recognized the impatient look in her son's eye and relented. "Alright kids, go on and have fun. Be safe!"

"We will mom!"

"Yeah, bye Mrs. Kent!"

Martha watched as the two teens hurried to Chloe's car, stifling tears at her son's chivalry as he hurried ahead to open Chloe's door for her. From their smiles, she knew that neither of them could be happier at that moment and she turned towards the house as Chloe backed out of the driveway. Those two were going to be just fine.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The lyrics are from Remy Zero (like you didn't already know that!)**

_A/N hey folks, sorry again for the long wait. I kept finding myself going back in and rereading what i wrote and thinking to myself, is this the best i can do? Some of these parts i think i edited like 4 times before i was satisfied. And guys, im not one of those jerks who swears that they will discontinue writing the story if people refuse to leave reviews, but i will say that i would really appreciate it if you took the time, especially with this chapter and the next. Most of my early writing tended to lean towards the action side of things and not factor in the human part of the story, which as i matured as a writer i realized was a glaring oversight on my part. What this means is that my romance writing is relatively inexperienced, so i could really use some feedback on these next couple of chapters to let me know if im headed in the right direction. I like it, but i want to know what you all think. Also, as this story progresses expect more fight scenes than the show includes. I think that the whole rush in, punch the bad guy once, save the day jazz can get kind of old, especially when a the show is proposing that kryptonite exposure can grant super strength and such. But it will be evolving slowly. Adding superpowers into a fight adds a whole other dimension to it. Anyways, enjoy!_

The fifteen minute drive from the Kent farm to the Smallville High School gymnasium did nothing to improve the violent weather conditions; if anything, the storm was getting worse. Clark on the other hand was finding his own condition much improved. While he was still worried about how his newfound feelings were going to change his and Chloe's relationship, his mother's advice had given him a new perspective on the matter. And her could almost hear Lex's voice in his ear, reminding him that he couldn't live his life in fear of the unknown.

When he had first climbed into the car he had sat quietly, sneaking quick glances at her out of the corner of his eye. But as he sought in vain for a topic of conversation that seemed cool and impressive, he realized his mother was right. Why should he treat her any differently or try to be someone he wasn't just because he liked her? She was already his best friend and she liked who he was just fine. So he cracked a smile and asked with a teasing note in his voice if she had enjoyed her history class that morning. She shot him a death glare, and he began to chuckle under his breath. He knew very well that she loathed her history teacher Ms. Ryan; their mutual enmity was the stuff of school legend.

"That woman is the most ignorant, stubborn, and moronic human being on the planet. If indeed she is a human being. She does look a lot like a pig in high heels, so you never know." He was laughing uncontrollably now, hands slapping his knees. "I mean honestly, giving me a B minus just because I disagreed with her on a few minor historic points…" he stopped laughing and snorted disbelievingly.

"A few minor points? Chloe you disagreed with every word out of that woman's mouth."

"Well what can I say; she brings out the worst in me. Besides, its my civic duty to protect our fellow students from false information. It's not my fault that I've learned more watching the history channel then she did in four years of college. And whose side are you on anyway? Some friend you are." She turned her head to flash her tongue at him before turning her attention back to the road.

"My apologies your highness. I should know better than to question you." Despite his seated position, he managed a short, mocking bow and she let out a short giggle.

"Yes, well, you'd do well to remember that peasant," she replied, her nose lifted in the air in a mocking manner. They spent the remainder of the drive sharing stories about their week and laughing over the antics of teacher's trying in vain to hold their classes' attention with only a week of school left. Chloe was in stitches, almost swerving off the road a few times as Clark recounted how Pete had attempted to convince their math teacher that since no one was paying attention anyway, he should just cancel class for the week.

"…and he gave this huge speech about how life was too short to waste. And then, I swear to god, he stood up in his chair and started giving his version of the "I have a dream" speech. I have never seen Mr. Rushano get that angry." She continued to laugh and Clark watched her, feeling amazed that he could ever have felt awkward around this girl. This just felt too right.

Her laughter subsided slowly and she said, breathlessly, "We're here." His gaze shifted to the front windshield and, sure enough, they were pulling into the parking lot at Smallville High. The car slid into a parking space and Chloe put it in park, checking her makeup in the mirror before looking over at him. "Are you ready?" He matched her stare, feeling himself being drawn into her deep green eyes. His voice was soft, but firm.

"Yeah, I am."

_Somebody save me  
And two warm hands break right through me  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just stay  
Stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

The atmosphere in the room was loud and boisterous, with dozens of smartly dressed teens dancing, socializing, and generally having fun while Remy Zero played in the background. Clark exited the bathroom, having left Chloe chatting with friends, and headed for the refreshment table when he spotted Pete near the punch, cheering loudly for the band. He approached, almost having to shout to be heard over the din.

"Hey Pete, liking the band?"

"Yeah, I love these guys. WOO!! REMY ZERO!!" Clark laughed and Pete shot him a look, thrusting his chin forward to indicate a nearby knot of girls. "Chloe's having a great time." Clark's smile grew wider as he turned and retrieved a glass of punch from the table.

"Well I promised her a night that she would never forget." Pete's smile remained in place, but his tone turned serious.

"I'm glad you finally stepped up Clark." Clark spoke to Pete, but his eyes remained locked on Chloe.

"Yeah, me too." Clapping echoed around the room as the band finished their song and started up another, much slower beat. He could see Chloe practically jumping with excitement, even from across the room and he heard her squeal out "Oh my god, I love this song." Pete nudged him in the ribs suggestively.

"Hey, you know this is one of Chloe's favorite songs, right?" His smile grew devious, but Clark still only had eyes for Chloe.

"Why do you think I requested it?" With that he shoved his half full cup into Pete's hands began to walk. Pete stood mute for a moment, dumbfounded, before laughing loudly.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Clark's gaze never wavered as he made his way swiftly across the floor, determination visible in his gaze. The crowd seemed to part before him and he knew she had seen him as her eyes met his and her friends began to drift away to find their own dates. Her smile was tentative and nervous as he came to a stop before her, but that soon faded at the infectious grin on his face and the intense look in his eyes.

"May I have this dance?" he asked quietly but with confidence, his hand held out. Her smile widened.

"Of course." She lifted her hand and he grasped it in his own, her other hand rising to his shoulder as his wrapped around her slim waist. They revolved slowly in place, swaying in time to the music and continuing to hold each other's gaze. She chuckled lightly, a playful light dancing in her eyes.

"Clark Kent, man of mystery; just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me." He matched her laugh with one of his own.

"How's that?"

"The song, the tux…tonight." He released her hand to reach up and cup her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb.

"And I'm still here." Her smile lit up the room and her eyes swam with an emotion he couldn't quite place.

"Yeah, you are." Both leaned in slowly, anticipation mounting as their faces inched closer. Their eyes closed and Chloe began to tremble, feeling his warm breath graze her skin. Lips met softly, little more than a caress. Clark's head was spinning, never having thought that he could feel so much through such a gentle pressure. He pulled back slowly and looked into her slightly glazed eyes, searching for permission to continue. His answer was an emphatic yes and he leaned in, seeking the sweet touch of her lips once more.

"Can I have you attention please?" Clark jerked back, searching wildly to find the source of the interruption. Only now did he notice that the band had stopped playing and the principal was on the stage, waving his arms for quiet. "Thank you. The national weather service has just issued a tornado warning, apparently three funnels have been spotted heading towards Smallville. Now please remain calm, the twisters are going to set down south of here, but for your own safety no one will be allowed to leave the gym."

Students began to mill about in panic and confusion, some yelling loudly at the stage, demanding that they be allowed to return home to be with their families. Clark began to panic as well, realizing that if the tornado touched down as predicted, its path would probably take it right towards his family's farm. As well as the bus station. His eyes widened. His parents had been living through these things for a long time, and while he was worried, he knew that they knew what to do and had plenty of time to get to the shelter. But Lana was out there all alone, and likely too upset about Whitney to even be paying attention to what was going on around her. He turned to Chloe, whose eyes were wide and frightened.

"Lana was dropping Whitney off at the bus station. That's just south of here." Her tone held fear as she responded.

"Clark she'll be fine. I'm sure she's already home by now. I'll tell you what, you wait here and I'll go call her on my cell." She turned and Clark grimaced, knowing that she was not going to be happy about what he was about to do. But if Lana really did need his help, he would never forgive himself for not being there to save her. He would just have to find a way to make it up to Chloe.

A gust of wind blew across her back, sending a chill up her spine. She whirled around, searching for Clark's familiar face in the crowd and calling his name, confusion evident in her voice. But he was already over a mile away, running southbound on Route 34 as he raced a tornado.

Minutes later, he slid to a stop, harsh wind buffeting and swirling around him ruffling his suit and lending a windswept look to his hair. His gaze swept up and down the empty stretch of highway, trying to ignoring the debris that flew around him and into him. Then he spotted the truck. It looked like hell. It lay in a ditch just off of the road, it's once pristine red paint smeared with dirt from the whirling debris and the front end crumpled in like a smashed soda can.

He could feel the wind picking up around him and shifted his attention beyond the truck to the massive storm laden sky beyond. All three twisters that had been predicted had indeed touched down, and even as he watched, all three began pulling closer together. He gulped as what had been three funnels condensed into one huge one, and it was closing in on them fast. Looking back at the truck he saw Lana's frightened face in the window, tugging at the door handle in a vain attempt to open it as she screamed his name. He began to sprint toward her, but even with his incredible speed he could not take but a few steps before the sheer power of this force of nature lifted the two tons of metal that had once been a truck hundreds of feet into the air. He stopped, looking on in horror before his face settled into a determined grimace. Here goes nothing. He lowered his and charged into the heart of the tornado, allowing the winds to carry him up, up…into the sky.

The scene was one out of a nightmare. Clark found himself surrounded by darkness, the harsh winds buffeting him as they bore him through the stormy skies. He had lost track of Lana's truck almost immediately and he knew that he needed to focus if he was to find and help her. This was easier said than done, he reminded himself as yet another flying tree branch smashed into his face, shattering into a thousand splinters. Any normal human would have long since been killed. But he wasn't normal and his friend needed his help.

He shook his head to clear it and drew within himself, forcing his mind to focus and his vision to sharpen. There! A flash of red, but it was enough. He flattened his body, pointing himself in the direction of the flying vehicle but after a moment he realized that he had no way to propel himself there. Speed meant nothing if there was no ground for him to run on. He flailed helplessly, throwing his arms forward in vain. This was useless, he thought after a moment. He looked like an insane swimmer trying to breast stroke through a tornado and it wasn't getting him anywhere. He squeezed his hands into tight fists, angry and frustrated, but refusing to give up. A friend's life depended on him and he was not going to let her die. His jaw set, his face tight, and his teeth grinding together…he began to move.

He had no idea how, or why, but whatever he was doing was working so he didn't question it. Instead he willed himself to move faster and inch by inch he felt himself gaining momentum. Soon he reached his goal, his hands finding purchase on the open doorframe of the truck that was already beginning to tear apart under the incredible pressure of the storm. He flexed, inhuman muscles pulling him inside with ease, where he could see Lana stretched out along the floorboards, her arms held protectively over her head as she screeched in fear. There was barely time for him to lie on top of her, enveloping her in his invulnerable body before the remainder of the car tore away, leaving nothing but thin floorboard underneath them and dark open sky above them. The wind spun them unmercifully, taking them on an impromptu roller coaster ride. Despite the danger to Lana though, he couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill shoot down his spine at the sensation of the wind breaking across his face and down his body. With his eyes shut tight, it almost felt like he was flying, and somehow he felt an odd sense of…belonging.

But almost as soon as the feeling had come, it was gone as he felt a sudden jolt and opened his eyes to find that they had been flung free of the twister and were now falling freely towards the earth. Looking down he realized that Lana had fallen unconscious at some point; that would make his job much easier. Tightening his arms around her he pushed off of the flimsy car remains, twisting in midair to keep himself between her and the onrushing ground as they plummeted through the sky. He winced in anticipation; invulnerable or not, this was going to sting.

They impacted hard, bouncing once before gouging a ten foot scar into the Kansas soil. He lay still, watching as the tornado slowly diminished until finally, mercifully, it was gone, the last of the flying debris falling like heavy rain across the town. Clark took a moment to recover before slowly gaining his feet, Lana's limp body cradled in his arms. He groaned as he rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck, popping it. "Ow." Invulnerable or not, that fall still hurt. Definitely an experience that he would rather not repeat. Looking down at the weary girl in his arms, he realized that he had no time to waste. While he had absorbed as much of the impact as he could, she still looked pretty banged up; he needed to get her to the hospital. He turned and was gone like a flash.

Smallville medical center was an orgy of confusion of mayhem. Doctors ran to and fro, checking injuries from flying debris and yelling out medication orders while nurses struggled to organize the confusion, working seeming miracles as they accomplished a hundred different tasks. Clark stood in the middle of it all, unnoticed in the chaos and unsure of what to do. Finally he noticed a nurse helping a man off of a gurney into a wheelchair and rolling him away. He rushed over and lay Lana down gently before turning and grasping a passing nurses by the elbow, careful not to squeeze too hard.

"Ma'am I need you help me. I found her lying in a field out by Route 34. She must have been caught out in the tornado; I'm not sure what's wrong her." A mental light bulb went off and he turned, running his x-ray vision over her length. "Although you might want to be careful of her wrist, I think that it might be broken. Also she seems to have a few bruised ribs." The nurse looked at him in surprise but was too busy to comment on his seemingly magical diagnosis. She joined him by the gurney and reached out, gently grasping the young girl's wrist to take her pulse. Lana shifted, wincing and moaning but still unconscious. The young nurse quickly removed the pressure and frowned at him.

"Well young man, she doesn't appear to be critical and we are a little busy at the moment, as you can see. So it will probably be awhile before we'll have time to get her into x-ray. Since you found her, you'll need to stay with her until then." He shook his head vigorously.

"I can't, I have to get back to my farm and check on my folks. Lana will be fine; you said so yourself." She rolled her eyes at his argument.

"Sorry kid, those are the rules. And since you apparently know who this young lady is, you can go ahead and help her out by getting started on her paperwork." She turned and retreated a few paces to retrieve documents from the bustling nurses station, but before she had even taken one step, Clark was long gone. He needed to get home and find out if his parents were ok, but first he had a worried pair of best friends to reassure.


	5. Chapter 5

As always, I own nothing.

_A/N- Sorry for the long delay folks. It was a combination of calculus and Fable 2. Initially this was going to be a much longer chapter and close out this first story arc, but I'm so behind right now that I've decided to just post in smaller chunks so that you have something to tide you over. From this point on, expect about two weeks between chapters, I just have too much school work right now. Plus I'm about to leave the territory that I had already outlined to start with, so my writing is going to take a bit longer. I have plenty of ideas for this altered time line, but getting them all arranged so that everything works together and flows right will take some doing. As always, reviews are appreciated._

Clark didn't stop running until he reached the hallway outside the gymnasium, where he reduced his speed to that of a quick human jog. A part of him felt that he should be rushing home right now to check on his parents rather than stopping at the school. After all, the school hadn't been in the path of the tornado; his parents had been. But as worried as he was, he knew that Chloe deserved to know that he was alright before he did anything else. The perfect night he had promised her had ended badly enough without adding "abandoning her at the dance" to the list.

The gym was still packed when he entered, the students mostly milling about aimlessly, talking amongst themselves. Since it had become obvious that they were in no danger where they were, the majority of the students had already moved on from the problem in typical high school fashion, a few even questioning why they shouldn't continue the dance. Why should they waste a perfectly good Friday night after all? Clark snorted disgustedly at their attitudes as he scanned the crowd for Chloe. Didn't these people realize the enormity of what had just happened? People had been hurt, many seriously, and some might even have died in this storm and all they were worried about was missing out on their fun.

Finally he spotted her near the back wall and began to make his way towards her, pushing his way through the crowd and ignoring the affronted and shocked looks from his classmates. Clearing the crowd, he stopped, still unnoticed by his friends as guilt began to gnaw at him. Chloe was mere feet away with Pete and his date right next to her. The latter was chatting loudly with nearby friends while the former tried hopelessly to calm the visibly agitated Chloe who stood ramrod stiff, tension clear in her posture as she swore violently at the cell phone she held in trembling hands.

"Damnit! This stupid thing is completely worthless! There was no answer on Lana's cell or at his house, and the hospital told me not to call unless I had a **real** emergency."

"Chloe calm down, I'm sure Clark's fine."

"How do you know? Anything could have happened, he could be-" Her voice caught in her throat and a hand flew to her mouth. Her jubilation at seeing him alive quickly faded, horror dawning across her face as she took in his appearance. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea to clean himself up a bit before he came in; he really did look like crap. From head to toe he was coated in a thick layer of dust and his back was literally covered in dirt stains from his fall. Worse than that was the massive tear in the left shoulder that left the sleeve nearly detached. Too late he realized that looking like he just came out of a tornado would inspire a lot of questions that he wasn't prepared to answer.

"Looks like I'm not going to be getting my deposit back." She ignored the attempted humor, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Clark, oh my god, what happened to you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Her eyes narrowed, a hint of anger present in them.

"Don't you give me that Clark Kent. You ran out and left me here all by myself. And after taking off like a bat out of hell you show back up half an hour later looking like you just came through a war zone." The pitch of her voice was rising as she worked herself into a frenzy, the first tears making their silent trek across her porcelain skin. "I have been scared out of my mind here. "I'm fine" is not going to cover it." She was close to hysterical now and Clark closed the distance between them in a few massive strides, engulfing her trembling body in his as his arms ran soothingly up and down her back. Pete gave him a small smile and moved off to give them some privacy.

"Shhh…..it's going to be alright. Everything really is fine, I promise. Lana was caught in the storm and I found her and took her to the hospital." Her eyes widened in shock and he moved quickly to reassure her. "It's alright though; it looks like nothing worse than a few broken bones. She should be on her feet in no time." She squeezed her eyes closed and buried her head in his shoulder, struggling valiantly to retain her composure in the face of the emotional overload that had been building up since Clark had disappeared.

For his part Clark stood immobile, stroking her hair softly and whispering quiet words of comfort while his heart pounded in his chest. Holding her like this made him feel warm and content, like her presence helped anchor him to the ground. But at the same time she made him feel much like he did earlier that night as he had soared through the heart of the tornado; terrified and apprehensive, but more alive than he had ever felt before. Even Lana had never made him feel so much at once and it left him more than a little frazzled, which meant it was a nearly a minute before he remembered that he still had to get home and check on his parents. Releasing her from his grasp he took a step back and paused for a moment so she could collect herself before he spoke.

"I hate to run off again, but I have to go. My house was right in the path of that tornado; I need to make sure that my parents are ok." Her eyes shone with guilt, ashamed with herself for delaying him when his parents might be hurt.

"Of course. I'll go with you."

"No!" His sudden shout caused her to her jump a little. "Sorry. Chloe, you should stay here where it's safe; I mean what if the storm isn't over? Besides, I don't think they're letting anyone leave yet and I don't think that I can sneak both of us out." Not without using his powers anyway, he thought. His logic sounded weak to her, and she was perfectly prepared to argue the point, but something in his eyes was pleading with her to trust him. So she did.

"Ok Clark. But be careful and promise me you'll call when you find out about your parents." He smiled and reached up, cupping the back of her neck with his hand and leaning in to brush her lips with his own.

"I promise," he whispered, drawing away. By the time Chloe opened her eyes, which had closed in anticipation of the kiss, he was already gone.

**************************************************************

A few minutes he was in his driveway, gravel kicking up around him as he slid to a stop. Heart pounding, he surveyed the area for damage and noted happily that the house and barn were still intact; he had been half expecting the roof to be gone and the tractor hanging out of the side of the barn. But the worst of the storm appeared to have missed them, for while their was plenty of debris lying around, the worst damage he could see was a mailbox that he recognized from the Johnson farm three miles down the road plunged into his bedroom window. He winced. That was going to be fun to clean up.

"Clark!" His mother was hurrying down the front steps now and he ran to meet her, catching her up in a sweeping hug as he laughed in relief.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're all right!" He put her down, shouting out questions as he scanned her for injuries. "Where's dad? Is he all right? Did you two make it to the shelter in time? What about-" She placed her hand on his mouth, cutting him off.

"Clark calm down and take a deep breath." Her hand fell as his breathing slowed and his panic settled down. "Yes we did make it to the shelter, but when we got in there, that reporter was there with a camera filming your ship. Your dad tried to stop him but he took off into the storm and your dad ran off after him. He hasn't come back yet. I was just waiting on you to get back so we could start looking for him." Guilt flooded through him and his words began rushing together as he tried to justify himself.

"Mom I am so sorry, I should have been here sooner. But Lana was in trouble and I had to pull her out of the tornado and I thought you and dad would be fine since you've been through this so many times and then I went to go check on Chloe and Pete and I'm so sorry. I should have just come straight home." Eyes shining with sympathy, she placed her hand on his cheek to stop his guilty rambling from working him into a frenzy again.

"Honey you don't have to explain yourself. You took care of yourself and your friends, and for that I am very proud of you. But now is not the time for blame or guilt, we just need to focus on finding your father." He knew she was right; guilt wasn't important right now, only finding his dad. Pushing those feelings to the back of his mind, he straightened, demeanor changing completely.

Martha smiled. She had always loved the change that came over her son in times like these. When the time came for action and lives were on the line, all of the worries and self doubt that plagued her son's handsome face vanished. In their place was a hard steel to his jaw and a burning determination to help people that shone in his eyes. She saw that same look now and in the face of it, her own fear and worry melted away, leaving only a deep trust in her son and their family. Clark would find Jonathan and they would see this crisis through together, as they always did. He turned, ready to speed off and begin his search of the property.

"Clark!" Pausing, he faced her once more. "After you find your father, perhaps you can explain to us what exactly you meant by "I had to pull Lana out of the twister." He winced, knowing exactly how his father was going to feel about that situation. Grinning nervously, he disappeared from her view as he sped across the farm at top speed, shouting 'dad' into the darkening evening sky.


End file.
